Blog: Minnesota wolf hunt desecrates sacred Ojibwe symbol

"The crowd fighting the chilly winds of Lake Superior marched through downtown Duluth, Minnesota to protest the beginning of a controversial wolf-hunting season. Robert DesJarlit carried the Cherish the Children Eagle Staff as he and Niibiwi Misko Makwa lead several hundred supporters for Wolf Walk 2012. Designed like a shepherd's staff, the Eagle Staff is a powerful symbol, representing the stature and honor of a tribe. The honor of the Anishinaabe called them to come to the aid of their brother, the wolf.

Despite lawsuits and public opposition, wolf hunting began in Minnesota on November 3. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), with the full support of Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton (D), offered 6,000 licenses to kill 400 wolves. As of now, 109 wolves are dead.

n a lawsuit filed on September 18, the Center for Biological Diversity and the group Howling for Wolves charged that the DNR failed to provide a formal opportunity for public comment. At issue is the fact that despite wolves being removed from the Federal register of endangered species in January 2012, Minnesota's 2001 wolf management plan requires that wolves not be hunted or trapped for five years after removal from the register."